Image series 48 / 2015: Photography in Japan

In the Meiji Period

22 November 2015
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By: Bettina Pfleging

In Japan the time of the reign of Emperor Mutsuhito in the second half of the 19th century was marked by reforms in politics and society modeled on the European example. But in the photographs of the Meiji period the modernization cannot be seen. The photographs show Japan as it was before, with the still existing stereotypes and clichés.
In the exhibition around 200 paintings from the main commercial centers of Japan Photographic, book objects, travelogues, scrolls and woodblock prints provide not only a comprehensive overview of the main themes and stylistic devices of the Meiji period. They show the Western influences on the photographic interpretation of this time.